Seeds of Eden
by Dantegate
Summary: Lost in the untangable abyss of the Animus, two souls will find that their paths run together not only in the past, but in present and future. Desmond/OC.
1. Waking Up Inside A Dream

A/N: Hello readers, this is my first Assassin's Creed fanfiction and I've tried to make it as authentic as I can. I welcome constructive criticism, but please no flames. Now on to the disclaimer: I do not own Assassin's creed, that belongs to it's rightful owner. I do own my own characters and storyline. Now, please enjoy, and please leave a review.

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><p>Prologue<p>

Waking Up Inside A Dream

_The light of this world is fading. Find it's source in Eden, find Her in Eden. Find the seed of Eve. Reconnect the source of the light. Replant the fruit of our labors with that of your union. Please, help us. Help us live again, like we once did for you. _

What the hell?

Where am I? What is this place?

All around me was a shapeless mass of white distortion. It was endless as I stood in confusion. It had to be a dream because the last thing I remember was Dr. Vidic putting me under for the testing. It must be the anesthetic messing with my head.

I began walking around, trying to find some way out of wherever this place was. I wonder how the testing was going? Dr. Vidic had found something on my brain during my last visit a few weeks ago and was doing some kind of test to see what it was. I don't know, I'm not a doctor so I have no idea what he's looking for.

_Find her! Find her, Desmond! _

What the hell? There's that voice again!

"Hello? Who's there?"

I called out to the voice, a woman's voice that echoed, like a recording. I turned in a full circle to try and find the owner of the voice, but saw nothing but swirling white around me. Sighing, I crossed my arms and stood there, waiting to wake up.

_She is here Desmond, she is waiting for you. Save her from the Cross before it is too late! Destroy the Cross! She is here with you..._

Jumping at the urgency and sudden cry the voice emitted in the vast white void, I looked up and around. Who was Desmond? I didn't know a Desmond, so why was that name in my dream?

Maybe my subconscious was playing tricks on me. Maybe it was trying to tell me something.

"Who is Desmond?" I called out to the voice.

I waited for the voice to answer me, but only silence came. I repeated the question with more force, perhaps it didn't hear me, "Who is Desmond?"

_What the hell? Hello!_

I was surprised when a different voice answered me, a male voice. I was silent for a moment, not quite sure why my mind was playing these games with me.

"...Hello...who's there?"

I had a sudden feeling that there was someone with me. Turning to the left I gasped and tumbled over my feet as I tried to step away in haste. There was a man standing a foot away from me, well, at least the outline of a man. His features were hard to tell due to lack of detail as he only appeared as a glowing silvery blue figure. He was taller than me and had short hair, but I couldn't' tell what color. He wore pants, jeans probably, and a dark hoodie with some sort of gauntlet-looking thing on his left forearm. He was looking around, as if searching for something. Was this Desmond?

I cautiously got to my feet and stared at the figure. Tilting my head, I said, "Desmond?"

The figure's head shot in my direction and said, " Who are you? Juno? Why did you do it? Why did you make me do that to Lucy?"

The figure, Desmond I'm guessing, took a step towards me, but stopped suddenly and appeared to see me and tilted his head, "You're not Juno, are you?"

I shook my head, "No, I'm Ava."

"Ava?" He seemed to be talking to himself as he said my name. He turned his head away from me and sighed. "'Why can't I get out of the animus? Damn it!"

For some reason, I had the compulsion to comfort him, even if he was a figment of my subconscious. I walked closer until I was close enough to reach out and put my hand on his shoulder. I gasped when I felt the warmth radiating off of him. He must have felt something too because he gasped and jumped back.

"What the hell was that?" he demanded as he clutched the shoulder I touched. I shook my head as I rubbed my tingling fingers together, "I don't know."

_A spark ignited creation of the world, so shall a spark ignite the creation of life! _

Both Desmond and I heard the female voice, Desmond recognizing it apparently as he screamed out, "Juno! You bitch, why? Why did you make me kill her? Why?"

Desmond suddenly began to flicker, like a glitch in a video feed or connection. He continued to do this, but he was becoming more clearer. I could now tell he had tan skin and had dark brown hair cut close to his head. I could see a scar over his lip and his large, prominent nose. And for a moment, I swear he was actually real.

Then there was sudden darkness all around me and I was alone once again, "Desmond!"

He didn't answer. I began running in the darkness, why I don't know. I just had this feeling that I wasn't safe and needed to get away. As I ran, I could hear voices echoing around me.

_Doctor, she's waking up!_

_Well give her more sedative._

_If we give her anymore, she could go into a coma!_

_It doesn't matter, her purpose does not require her to be aware, simply alive._

_But-_

_Just do it!_

Dr. Vidic?

"Desmond !"

"_Shawn hurry, we don't have much time! We have to get to Desmond before they find out we're here!"_

_"I'm aware Rebecca! Please forgive me for being a bit cautious. We are after all about to sneak into a Templar high security facility!"_

"_Just hurry up! They're going to be back any second! God, how did they find us? I thought Desmond was with William!"_

Who were Rebecca and Shawn?

"Desmond, where are you?"

"_Royce! Perfect timing my boy! Ready to get started? "_

"_Of course doctor, but would you mind giving me and Ava some privacy? I don't think it would take... effect if there was an audience present. "_

"_Of course Mr. Declan, whatever makes you more...effective."_

Who was Royce? What was Dr. Vidic doing? What was going on? I continued to run in the darkness when there was a sudden shimmer of light just ahead of me. It was like watching a flower blossoming as I halted my run to see a woman appear before me. She floated above the ground, her dress bellowing around her as dots of light floated around me in the dark. The woman didn't look real, more like a hologram, but still had a celestial beauty.

She looked down at me, causing me to step back in shock.

Holograms weren't aware of the world around, right? Then why was this one looking right at me?

_You are not where you must be. You must meet Adam in Eden before the fire returns. Go to Eden and ignite the spark._

I watched as the woman disappeared, leaving behind the small balls of light to float about in the dark. What was that about? What spark?

I tried to calm my beating heart and calm myself but it was difficult for some reason. I closed my eyes and imagined myself waking up to Dr. Vidic telling me everything was alright, but when I opened my eyes I was still in the dark. I felt frightened as I stood there, strangely wishing Desmond was with me. Why did I want him with me? He wasn't even real.

"Desmond, I'm scared." I whispered as I wrapped my arms around myself. I began to hum, something I did when I was nervous or scared. It bounced around the darkness despite no wall visible to the eye.

"Ava?"

I whirled around to see the ghost-like image of Desmond standing there, searching for something as he looked around himself. I ran toward him, "Desmond!"

He turned towards me and began running. I stopped as we grew closer and couldn't help but feel the fear draining away. He came to halt and said, "What was that? Why did it go dark?"

I shook my head, "I don't know, but Desmond, what is this place?"

He didn't have the chance to answer however, because as he opened his mouth, he let out a scream and fell to his knees, disappearing into the darkness.

"Desmond!"

"_She's stable doctor"_

"_Ah, wonderful! Royce,'we'll leave you to it then. Remember, we only have a small window to succeed in fertilization, so try not to loose your objective during the process. "_

"_That doesn't mean I can't enjoy myself doctor. Relax, believe me there will be no problem. It will be done."_

"_Very well Mr. Declan, enjoy your...time together."_

"_Oh, I will."_

"_Doctor Vidic! Subject 17's missing! "_

"_What! Immpossible, the man's in a coma! "_

"_Sir, two unidentified suspects have taken Subject 17 from the building!"_

"_Damn it! Royce, take Ava to the facility in Paris; complete your objective in route if it comes to it."_

"_Of course"_

What's going on?

_Wake up...come on, wake up! _

I was suddenly out of the dark and was blinded by a flash of light. I shielded my eyes from the sudden brightness as the voices became more clearer and I could hear the sound of an engine and tires screeching as they rotated against the asphalt of the road.

"Did you get him? Oh, good," a male voice said.

That voice was familiar, but from where?

"Thanks for the vote of confidence mate, really I mean it." said a male British voice , the sarcasm evident in his voice.

There was a scoff followed by a female voice, "Whatever Shawn, you were the one who couldn't even shoot one measly guard!"

"It's called stealth, stealth woman!"

A chuckle came from the first, familiar voice, "okay, chill out guys...so what do you think they wanted with _her_?"

I felt a warm hand wrap around my wrist and felt something sharp being poked into my arm. I tried to pull away but found my body was not responding. What was going on?

What was happening to me?

"We don't know who she is, but the Templars sure were in a hurry to get her out of there. We were lucky that we got to her before they got away," the woman, Rebecca, said.

She must have been the one who pricked her because her voice was close to her ear. Rebecca and who she was assuming was the owner of the familiar voice, by the sound of it, were American. The man named Shawn sounded British.

"This should help her get over those sedatives Vidic gave her, maybe then we can find out who she is," said Rebecca as she moved away from her.

She felt someone sit close to her and felt her hair being brushed away from her face. A warm finger traced along her cheek, "Who are you?"

It was the man. He whispered this quietly, speaking to her with curiosity. _You can't be real…can you? You're just a figment of my imagination…right?_

Ava felt suddenly tired and as her eyes grew heavy, she wondered what was happening and just who were these people. She wondered who Desmond was, and was any of this, real.

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><p>THANKS FOR READING, NOW PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT :)<p>

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	2. Who Is She?

A/N: Thanks to those who favorited my first chapter and to those who put my story on alert. I was a bit disappointed at the lack of reviews, but maybe now that there is a second chapter, maybe I can get more feedback. So please...pretty please...LEAVE A REVIEW OR COMMENT! Oh, thank you, jaxjah65, for your comment. That makes me feel like this story is worth continuing...:)

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><p>Chapter One<p>

Who Is She?

I was standing in the white abyss again, silence filling my ears as I contemplated why I was here again. What was going on? What was Dr. Vidic doing to me? Fertilization? Who were those people who apparently saved me? What was happening to me?

In frustration, I let out a growl and stomped my foot. Resting my hands on my hips, I began to pace back and forth as I thought of how to wake myself up. I knew I was dreaming; I had to be. None of this could be real, it just couldn't.

…_come, follow me into the water, where the stars are drowning…_

…_we'll be together forever, lifetimes of waiting over…_

…_through an open door, I'll be waiting…_

…_follow me into the water, where the stars are drowning…._

I stopped mid step as the soft sound of singing echoed around me in the distortion. It was a woman's voice. It wasn't like that…Juno person she and Desmond ran into before. It was gentle and was accompanied by music.

A surprising breeze brushed against my neck, causing me to turn around. The emptiness around me began to flicker; a black distortion had begun to take its place. I stepped backwards as the darkness grew closer.

I began to breathe more quickly as the dark mist sped closer to me. I held out my hands to shield the mist as it fell upon me. It felt like sand hitting my skin in a sandstorm as it rolled over me. It spread to the ground after it passed me and began to circle, resembling a snake coiling itself into a ball.

I watched, half fascinated and half wary, as it rose in a spiral, defying gravity. It continued to spiral into the air, taking shape. I stood at a safe distance as the mist grew still as it finished, leaving what appeared to be a rectangular mass.

The mist suddenly seemed to harden, leaving behind only a dark void in the middle of the white space around me. Unsure of what to do, I was careful as I approached the voided space. I looked at it, trying to see if there was any visible danger.

I shook my head, "This is a dream. Nothing can hurt you Ava."

None the less, I slowly and carefully reached out my hand, staring at the darkness, afraid something would pop out and grab me. As my fingers brushed against the surface, it appeared to ripple like it was water.

I pulled my hand back, looking down at my hand to see nothing. I looked at the darkness, seeing it still moving like a ripple. But it was accompanied by a muffled sound. I stepped closer, curious.

I leaned in; trying to decipher what the sound was….a voice!

"Hello!" I yelled, resting my hands on the dark solid form, forgetting I had been wary about it just a moment ago.

The voice grew louder and slightly more clearer, "..un! R…un…ay! ..ap…ra! Ava! T..ke..er..run! I lo..ou…ins..They know! Sara run!"

What?

It was distorted but it wasn't muffled like before. Sara? My mother's name was Sara, but who was this man? Strange.

"Ahhh!" I screamed, pulling my hands away from the solid mass in front of me. I looked down at my hands to see that they were burned, throbbing with pain. It felt like I had touched fire.

Looking from my hands to the darkness in front of me, my eyes grew wide as I saw the darkness grown and tremble, returning to the mist it had been before. I stepped back, afraid of what was going on.

It suddenly burst forward, causing me to fall backwards. I felt as if I were falling through the floor as I continued to fall. The dark mist that had charged at me was above me, was growing further and further away.

I closed my eyes, too afraid to see anymore.

SEEDS OF EDEN

Shaun Hastings peered out the grime-covered window of the abandoned warehouse, keeping an eye out for any Templars who might have followed them. It had been only a few days since their escape from the facility, which had gone well except for the surprised guest who at the moment was lying on a cot, Rebecca fussing over her every few seconds. This annoyed him. He felt they needed to find out just who this woman was; they could play nanny after they discovered if she was the enemy or not.

"Must you hover over her like that? Shouldn't we, I don't know, see if she's a Templar or not?" he said sarcastically, folding his arms across his chest as he turned away from the window to face Rebecca.

She rolled her eyes and stood, "Shaun, I seriously doubt she's a Templar. Look at her, they were trying to, you know….Shaun, relax okay? We got Desmond back and no one was killed except a few Templars. That's a pretty good day in my book."

Shaun approached Rebecca and said, "Yes, a good day. Except you forget that one, Lucy is dead, two, we have a mystery woman who could or could not be an enemy, and three, we have no idea where William is. Oh, and let's not forget, the man who is supposed to help us defeat the Templars, is in a bloody coma! All we have is some damn rookie sent to us by William before he disappeared! All he's good for is food runs!"

Shaun pushed his glasses up as they slid down during his rank. He did not notice the grin forming on Rebecca's lips, nor the man who stood behind Shaun, a frown on his face and his arms crossed.

"Really? All I'm good for is food runs? Bit harsh, isn't it Shaun?"

Shaun turned around swiftly and coughed, embarrassed. He looked at Costa D'Adda, a man in his late twenties, who according to William, was fresh in the terms of being an Assassin, but was loyal and was good for someone just starting as one of their order. He was tall but stocky, with pale skin and dark brown hair and eyes that resembled cole. He never seemed to smile and had a disturbing burn scar on the right side of his face. It covered from his cheek to his jaw line, disappeared down his shoulder and under his shirt.

Clearing his throat, Shaun said, "Yes, well, that aside…what are we going to do about the girl? Desmond is in the Animus, like William said to do, but why isn't she waking up? It's been two days and the sedatives should have already cleared her system. We'll have to move soon, we can't stay here forever, and we don't need extra baggage."

Costa sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, "Look, I had no idea that girl was going to be there, okay? But what was I supposed to do, leave her? We're supposed to be the good guys, let the Templars show how to be inhumane, not us."

Shaun rubbed the bridge of his nose, leaning against the side of the van which held the Animus and Desmond's comatose body, "Alright, is there any way we can hack into Abstergo and find out who she is?"

Rebecca laughed, "Are you kidding? Of course I could, but Abstergo's security is way too tight. If I did, they would know our location."

Costa shrugged his shoulders, "So what, we'll move to another. We need to find out who she is before we do anything else."

Shaun found himself agreeing with Costa, something that probably wouldn't ever happen again, "He's right, we can load the van while you hack into Abstergo. By the time they find out you were there, we should already be on the road."

Rebecca sighed but agreed, "Fine, let's just hurry."

SEEDS OF EDEN

He had no idea what was happening. He was in some kind of building, but it seemed to be different, like it didn't belong in the real world, "Am I in the Animus?"

Desmond looked around him, trying to find a way out of wherever this place was. He banged his hand against the clear wall, screaming, "Let me out of here! Goddamn it!"

Stepping back, he shook his sore hand, mumbling, "Fuck," under his breathe in frustration.

He sat down on the steps behind him, resting his elbows on his knees, cradling his face in his hands as he tried to think of the events that had taken place.

_Why did Juno make me kill Lucy?_

_Who was that girl? Ava, yeah that was her name. _

_Was she here too?_

Desmond continued to sit there, not sure of what he could do to get out of the Animus. He had tried, over and over to exit, but he couldn't.

He had been shocked to see that Subject 16 had been alive. Well, not alive, but…existing in this place. What was he trying to tell him? What did he want?

_Eden. She... in Eden. Find Eve. The Key. Her DNA..._

_The sun... Your son... Too weak... Must replenish energy..._

_I am with you 'til the end. Find me in the darkness….._

What was he supposed to do?

As he sat there, a ringing filled his ears, causing him to groan and clutch his ears. He rose to his feet and swayed slighting, dizzy from the noise in his head, "What's, what's happening?"

He opened his eyes that he had clenched shut and saw the familiar black and white imagery of the bleeding effect. "Ezio?"

His ancestor stood before him, a young man, younger it seemed than before his days as an assassin, before his father and brothers was murdered. Ezio's form turned to him and walked swiftly towards and then through him, forcing Desmond to grow dizzy once again and fall backwards, the all too familiar feeling of entering his ancestors' memories.

SEEDS OF EDEN

September 1476

Firenze, Italia

Heloisa del Cuore stood outside of the bank as the black dress she wore blew slightly in the passing wind. Her veil blew across her face just as Armand came to stand next to her with Marta behind him, carrying little Esperanza in her arms, who looked about with curiosity in her large blue eyes. Her hair was in little ringlets, shining with the sunlight in her chestnut hair. Her son, Armand, wrapped his arm around her shoulder and guided her into the bank. They had just arrived in Firenze from Genova, to receive Durante's estate. Why he entrusted his will to Giovanni Auditore, Armand did not know. He had never heard of or met the man, but his father apparently trusted the man to be his trustee of his estate.

Looking at his mother, Armand offered a small smile of comfort as they stepped into the bank, Marta standing behind him. Heloisa held his hand tightly as a man approached them, dressed in neat and finely made clothes. His brown hair reached just above his shoulders as his dark eyes studied them as he grew closer.

Armand released his hold on his mother as he stepped towards the man, hand outstretched. The man took the hand in his own and shook it firmly, "Ciao, come posso aiutarla?"

"Si, I am Don Armand del Cuore. Is Signore Auditore here?" Armand asked as he released the man's hand.

A look of recognition crossed the man's face, a smile breaking out on his face, "Aw yes, you are Durante's son! I am Giovanni Auditore, it has been some time since we've last seen one another."

Furrowing his brow, Armand said, "We have met?"

"Yes, although you were just a boy then. You must be here to receive your father's estate." Giovanni said as he turned to Heloisa.

Taking her hand, he offered her a gentle smile, "Donna, I am sorry for your lose, Durante was a good man."

Heloisa returned the smile as Giovanni released her hand, "Thank you Giovanni, Durante always spoke highly of you. He was so grateful for all you have done for our family, as I am."

Giovanni shook his head, "It is nothing, Heloisa. Now, to business. As your father's trustee, it is my duty to hand over his estate to you, Armand. However, your father has split the estate among you and your sister, Esperanza Constanta. She is to inherit her part when she is of age. Until then, you will be responsible for her portion of the estate."

Nodding, Armand looked behind him at his baby sister, who slept peacefully in Marta's arms. Turning back to Giovanni, he said, "I thank you for protecting my family's interests for all these years, signore. Is there any way I can repay you?"

Giovanni shook his head with a smile, "That is not necessary, although, I must insist that your family come to my home and share a meal with us. My wife would love to see you again, Heloisa."

Heloisa nodded, "Yes, I think that can be arranged Giovanni, thank you. We will come at your convenience."

He clapped his hands together, "Meravigliosa! Tonight then, I will send an escort later in the evening. You are staying at your father's palazzo in the city, yes?"

Armand nodded, "Yes, near the Basilica Santa Maria Novella."

Giovanni firmly grasped Armand's hand then and patted his shoulder with the other, "Very well then, I look forward to this evening."

September 1476

Vespucci Residence

"Oh Ezio!"

Cristina Vespucci couldn't help but giggle as Ezio brushed her hair away from her neck and left soft kisses down to her bare shoulder. She sighed and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer.

He chuckled and pulled away slightly to look down at her, a grin on his lips, "Ora, ora Cristina, abbiamo tutta la notte."

Cristina smacked his chest, "Stop teasing, Ezio!"

He slid his hands down her back until they reached her hips and pulled her until their skin touched, "Ask nicely, Cristina."

She glared at him, "Please!"

As he bent down to kiss her lips, there was a sudden echo coming from outside Cristina's window, "Ezio!"

It was his brother, Federico. Groaning, he released his hold on Cristina, who crossed her arms in frustration, "Ezio, don't leave!"

He began to fix his disheveled clothes and fixed his loose hair that had been pulled from its' ponytail by Cristina's frantic fingers. He kissed her once more, "I am sorry, Cristina, but I must go."

She clicked her tongue and put her hands on her hips, "Fine! But don't think you're coming back in later!"

He frowned, "But Cristina…"

She held up a hand, "Basta uscire!"

Sighing, Ezio climbed out of the window and climbed down the side of the building where his older brother waited, a wolf's grin on his face. "What?"

Federico shoot his head, "Nothing, baby brother."

Ezio gave his brother a look of resentment, "Why did you interrupt my evening with Cristina? I told you earlier!"

Federico calmed his brother down with a wave of his hand, "Father has a request, he wants you to escort a client and his famiglia to dinner at the palazzo. Don't be late, Ezio, these are important people to father."

Ezio nodded, "Very well, I suppose Cristina will have to wait another night."

Federico laughed, "Did I mishear her, or is it you, who will have to wait another night?"

Ezio glared, "Stronzo!"

Federico merely laughed louder as he turned away from his brother, "You should be going, Ezio, our guests live near the Santo Maria Novella."

"Wait, what are their names?" Ezio asked, causing Federico to turn to face him, "Don Armand del Cuore and his mother, now go!"

Nodding, Ezio watched as his brother disappeared in the crowd before making his way towards the Palazzo del Cuore.

He cursed his brother's timing, not too pleased that he was cheated out of a night with Cristina. He passed over the bridge and made his way through the square, brushing past people in the crowd. He wondered who Don Armand del Cuore was, his father had never spoken of him, nor had Ezio ever met him. It was not uncommon though, for his father to invite important clients home for dinner.

As he grew closer to the Santa Maria Novella, Ezio noticed a man looking around, confused as he searched the Basilica square from where he stood near the fountain. As Ezio passed him, the man noticed his gaze, "Ah, signore! A moment please!"

Ezio looked around to make sure the man was not speaking to someone else before making his way towards the lost man, who stepped towards him, "Ah grazie, perhaps you could be of some assistance, young man?"

Ezio offered a polite smile to the older man, nodding his head, "Si, but we must be quick, I must be somewhere soon."

The man gave Ezio a look of relief, "Bene! I am looking for the Palazzo del Cuore, do you know where it is?"

Ezio was taken aback at the coincidence, "It is your lucky day, signore, I am on my way there."

The man laughed, "What a coincidence! Oh, forgive me, I am Mathaeos Kamariotis. And you are?"

Ezio motioned for Mathaeos to walk with him, "I am Ezio Auditore, signore. What business do you have with the del Cuore?"

Mathaeos sighed deeply, shaking his head, folding his hands behind his back, "I have come to pay my respects to the Donna. She has lost her husband, he was a good…friend, of mine."

"Perdonami, I did not mean-"

Mathaeos cut him off, "-you did not know, my son, it is alright."

Ezio inclined his head. As they walked, Ezio glanced at the older man. He was thin and had greying hair to reveal his age. He wore robes that a scholar would wear and had a beard that was neatly trimmed. He had watery blue eyes that showed wisdom and pain.

Turning the corner near the Novella, Ezio and Mathaeos came upon the Palazzo del Cuore. It was large and had an open garden with a small fountain behind the gates that surrounded the palazzo. A young girl stood in the garden, her hands folded in front of her.

Ezio and Mathaeos entered through the gate, causing the girl to turn to them at the sound of the creaking metal of the gate, "Can I help you sirs?"

Ezio offered her a flirtatious smile, "Si signora, I am Ezio, son of Giovanni Auditore. I was sent to escort the Don and his mother to my home for dinner on behave of my father."

The girl nodded, "Yes, please wait a moment; I will go retrieve the Don Armand and the Donna Heloisa."

As the young girl entered the villa, she neglected to close the door. The sound of soft, childish laughter caught Ezio's attention. A small child poked her head from behind the door and stared at him and Messer Kamariotis. She stepped out and waved her tiny hand at them with a large smile.

Ezio chuckled and wiggled his fingers at the little girl, who could be no older than two or three years old. She looked away from him briefly, searching the ground for something. Her face lit up as she ran clumsily towards a bundle of flowers that grew nearby.

She pulled one of the small white flowers from where it grew and ran towards Ezio, giggling as she did. The little girl looked up at him with a smile and reached out her hand, offering the small flower to him.

Ezio humored the child and knelt to lessen the distance between them and took the flower, causing Messer Kamariotis to smile at the sight, "For me piccola? My, that is a very pretty flower. What shall I do with it?"

She played with her fingers and shrugged her shoulders as she looked at him with happiness. He smiled back at her and twirled the small flower between his fingers, "Ah, I know."

He reached forward and pushed the flower behind her ear, brushing her soft hair away. She giggled and pulled away slightly, finding it tickled when he touched her sensitive ear. She surprised him when she stepped closer and wrapped her small arms around his neck, hugging him.

The sound of a man laughing caused Ezio to look up and saw a man a few years older than himself walking towards him, his hands on his hips. He had long brown hair that reached his shoulders and fell in his face slightly, bright blue eyes shining with energy, "What have I told you about that, Essie? Hmmm? We must not give hugs to strangers."

The little girl, Essie, let go of Ezio, who rose to his feet and composed himself, "Buonasera, I am Ezio Auditore, my father is Giovanni, I am to escort you to dinner this evening."

The man nodded, "Of course. You must forgive us, but my mother will not be joining us, she is not feeling well."

Ezio noticed the girl, Essie, pulling on Don Armand's sleeve, causing him to look down, "what is it, Essie?"

Essie gave him a pleading look, "I go too?"

Don Armand sighed, lifting the child into his arms. He looked at her, hoping she would not start to cry as he said, "Piccola, you must stay with Mama."

The girl's lower lip began to pucker as her eyes filled with tears, "I go too! I like him." She pointed at Ezio and then at the flower in her hair, "See, pretty!"

Armand laughed and looked at Ezio, "See what you have done? You have made Esperanza fall in love with you!"

Ezio chuckled and looked at Messer Kamariotis, who had remained silent. "Oh, Don del Cuore, forgive me. This is Messer Kamariotis, he says he knew your father….."

SEEDS OF EDEN

Gasping, Desmond rose to find himself still in the room he had passed out in. What was that? Was this another of Ezio's repressed memories?

Blinking, he swallowed, trying to rid his throat of the dryness that was there. He leaned back against the stairs, resting his head against them as he closed his eyes, exhausted.

He did not seem to notice the crumbled body that lay a mere few feet from him, on the other side of the room, too overcome with confusion to pay attention. He let his mind wonder as he contemplated his situation, and how he was going to get out of this place.

As he slowly drifted further into his own mind, he didn't pay attention as the body let out a moan and slowly rolled to the side, revealing the face of the woman who had appeared to him in the animus.

She was mumbling softly as if asleep, a single word escaping, "Ezio…"

SEEDS OF EDEN

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	3. Bad Weather

A/N - Hi readers! Here's chapter three, enjoy! I really hope to get more reviews for this story soon! Keep that in mind.

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><p>Chapter Two<p>

Bad Weather

_Four months Ago_

I felt ridiculous as I entered the club. Royce pushed me forward as we passed the large, muscle-bound bouncer who allowed us entry. I had been forced to wear a skin-tight dress that all but showed off my goodies. I felt that if I took a deep breath, the dress would fly off. I looked down at myself and rolled my eyes at the silky material that clung to my body. I hated it when Royce made me wear these things. I shivered involuntarily as warm and alcohol-scented breath brushed against my ear, followed by a kiss to the neck.

"Come on baby, let's have some fun," came Royce's voice as he chuckled and guided me further into the club, his hand brushing against my bare shoulders as he wrapped his arm around me. I hated it when he tried to show me off, like I was some kind of prize.

I offered a tight smile and pulled away from his half embrace, "I think I just want something to drink right now, Royce."

He frowned but nodded, "Okay, whatever. I'll just go say hello to Sasha then."

He scurried off, leaving me alone at last. You would think that being my fiancé and all that I would have some affection for him, but I don't. I never even wanted to date him but I felt as though there wasn't any other option for me.

I was stuck in a mess that my uncle had made. I watched him disappear in the sea of dancing bodies, and only when I could no longer see him, I bent down and pulled the stiletto heels off of my sore feet. I hobbled past people as I made my way towards the bar where only a single bar stool remained.

I failed to notice the bartender watching me as I approached the bar, an amused smirk on his face as he cleaned a glass. I carefully maneuvered myself on to the bar stool without flashing anyone and dropped my heels on the bar, sighing heavily as I rested my head on my perfumed arm; I hated the smell but Royce insisted I wear it.

Royce had been begging me to come to this club for weeks; why, I had no idea but I finally got tired of hearing him asking. That and his fist helped.

Royce was one of those guys that could charm a rock, with his dashing good looks; blond hair and gorgeous blue eyes. But he was more like Jekyll and Hyde than Prince Charming. He could be so kind, but only if it benefited him.

I know when we get back to my apartment, he's going to "teach me some manners" for dismissing him when we came in, but I was so numb to it all now. I didn't care if he hit me, if he killed me. At least then I'd be free.

"What can I get for you?" a male voice asked.

I didn't look up as I said, "Shirley Temple, please."

The voice chuckled, "How about a Shirley Templar instead?"

Curious, I lifted my head and was met with a pair of golden eyes. I stared at them for a moment; they were beautiful eyes. The owner of them on the other hand didn't seem to like my staring so I shifted my gaze and smiled softly, "What's that?"

He shrugged, "Not that different than the first."

Furrowing my eyebrows, I asked, "Then why should I have a Shirley Templar if it's no different?"

He set down a glass and leaned forward, resting on his arms as he spoke, "I guess it's just a favorite of the locals. They seem to like it. It's…kind of an inside joke really."

Nodding, I studied the bartender. He was young but older than my nineteen years. His dark hair was cut short to his scalp, a buzz cut. He had some facial hair, like he hadn't shaved the day before. He had a bit of a tan but it seemed natural. The black T-shirt he wore bore an eagle-like insignia and did a fantastic job of showing the defined muscles of his biceps and chest. Upon closer inspection, I saw a small scar near his lip.

A loud laugh coming from behind me caused me to stop my observations and I said, "Sure, why not."

He gave a nod, "Coming up, one Shirley Templar."

It was then that I got the joke. Laughing, I watched as he assimilated the drink in front of me. He heard my laugh and looked up momentarily before going back to work on the drink, "What's funny?"

"The joke, I get it. Shirley Temp-_lar, _as in the Templars!" I said as he finished the drink off with a lime wedge.

He gave me a surprised look, "Uh, yeah…that's right. How'd-"

I took the drink from him, "-I go to NYU. I had to do a paper on them for this class I had to take freshman year."

The look vanished from his face and was replaced with one of humor, "Well, look at you. What're you going to school for?"

Picking up the drink, I grabbed the straw and brought it to my lips, "Art history."

He raised an eyebrow, "Really? So what, you stare at old paintings all day?"

I gave him a mock glare, "No!"

He laughed and set the now dirty mixing glass behind him to be cleaned before turning back to me. He held up his hands in surrender, "Okay, sorry."

"Babe?"

I froze, the smile falling off my face as I turned to see Royce watching me and the nice bartender with a look I knew too well, "What's going on over here that's got you smiling like that?"

He bent down and kissed my lips, hard. I pulled back and saw that he was glaring at the bartender. I groaned. He might as well pee on me with that attitude.

I forced a smile and said, "I just got a joke, that's all."

Royce looked at me, crossing his arms, "What joke?"

I shook my head, "It's not really that funny; you wouldn't like it."

The bartender looked at us with concern, well, gave me a look of concern. I shook my head mildly and turned back to Royce, "Did you see Sasha already?"

Royce looked from me to the bartender, "Yeah, I just came to get her a drink."

He looked at my Shirley Templar and grabbed it, "Thanks babe."

I opened my mouth but he was already gone, vanishing in the mob, before I could say anything.

"Great guy you got there," the bartender said, the sarcasm heavily evident.

I turned to him and laughed, though dryly, "Yeah, real great."

A rather drunk couple stumbled into the bar next to me and demanded service from the nice bartender, his attention taken away from me.

I found myself grabbing my heels and making my way to the door. As I did, I looked into the crowd and saw Royce running his fingers down Sasha's bare leg as she sat on his lap, nibbling on his ear. She could have him, I was tired of him.

I reached the exit and brushed pass the bouncer who let me and Royce in. I stepped to the side and began strapping the torture devices called shoes back on my feet. Once done, I just started walking.

I couldn't stand it anymore!

I was breaking; like a chip in a sheet of glass. The chip never breaks the glass right away, but slowly and discreetly until one day, it just shatters.

That's what was happening to me.

I was shattering.

Eventually, I found myself in Central Park. It was quiet. The only sound was the distant sound of flowing water from a nearby fountain. My bare feet rubbed against the grass, my eyes closed as I tried to gain some clarity of what my life had become.

My uncle had made some kind of financial deal with Royce's family. However, Royce's father died, leaving Royce his vast fortune and company. His company was only second to my uncle's. Uncle wanted to buy Royce's family company, Declan Industries, but Royce had one condition. Me.

My uncle would only gain Declan Industries if I married Royce. Now don't get me wrong; I said no before Uncle even finished his sentence. But he had the one thing that made me say yes; the location of my mother.

When I was a little girl, my mother suffered a nervous breakdown and was sent to some mental asylum somewhere. I was never told where. If I marry Royce, Uncle will tell me where she is. Maybe then, I can think of something to get out of this mess. But until then, I will have to endure the pain.

_Warning!_

But could I really endure it? What if Uncle is lying about my mother? It wouldn't be the first time he lied to me to get something he wanted. My uncle is not the best man in the world.

Sighing, I let my head fall back until it rested against the wooden bench and I was staring up at the few visible stars above me.

_Memory failed_

I watched as the sky rotated slowly, clouds occasionally covering my view.

"Hi."

_Reconfiguring data _

Jumping up, I saw the bartender from Bad Weather standing in front of me. He had a white hoodie on and had a courier bag across his back. I sat up and cringed as my neck hurt from my stargazing.

He took a step closer, "You okay?"

I nodded, rubbing the back of my neck, "Yeah, just sat up to quickly. Funny seeing you here; out of all the places in New York City, we meet again."

He shrugged, his hands resting in the pockets of his jeans, "Coincidence."

I rose from the bench and approached the bartender, hand outstretched, "I'm Ava."

He took my hand and shook it, "De-D-"

_Re-recon-recon-co-co-coooooooooooooo…._

"_Damn, we lost it!"_

_Warren Vidic stepped forward, a hot cup of coffee in his hand. He looked down at the unconscious form of Ava Rikkin as she laid in the Animus. Her eyes flickered from behind her closed eyelids._

" _Make sure to give Ms. Rikkin the inhibiter before taking her home."_

_The assistant nodded and began bringing the young woman out of her session in the Animus. As he did, Dr. Vidic walked towards the large, open window and looked down at the streets below. _

Darkness and static filled the air.

Gasping, my eyes popped open to find myself lying on a beach, darkened and unnatural sky above me.

Now where was I?

Sitting up, my thoughts flooded back to what I had just dreamt? Or was it a memory? Or a hallucination?

"What's happening to me?" I whispered as I laid my head against my knee.

"That is a very good question!" a male voice said from behind me.

I jumped to my feet and turned, nearly falling as I lost my balance.

Laughter filed the air as a figure began to appear in a flash of white light. A man, somewhat older than me sat on a bolder. He had blond hair and wore a brown shirt over a blue one and jeans.

"Who are you? Where am I?" I asked frantically.

The man sudden disappeared and reappeared in front of me, almost like he was a projection or digital simulation.

"Calm down. Ava, right? I see that you don't remember anything about me. That's…unfortunate I suppose." He said as he passed me.

Confused, I ran after him along the beach, "Hey wait!"

He continued to walk as I caught up with him, "What is this?" I asked desperately.

The man looked at me as we walked, "You mean the memories?"

I shrugged, "If that's what it was. Who's Ezio? Why did I see that? It's weird!"

The man laughed, "You really have no idea, do you?"

He stopped and looked at me as he placed his hands on his hips. He seemed to be studying me. Frustrated, I growled, "What?"

He held up his hands, "Nothing. Listen Ava, don't panic alright? You're inside a machine called the Animus. Your mind is scrabbled like eggs and you could say this is a safety room. Whatever Vidic did you, caused you to fall into a coma and now you're stuck here."

Blinking, I said, "I'm in a machine?"

He nodded, "Yes, the Animus allows the user to enter the memories of their ancestors, reliving them as if they were that ancestor. Follow me?"

I nodded, though unsure of what to believe.

"I'm in a coma?"

Again, he nodded, "Yup."

Furrowing my eyebrows, I said, "I thought I was in a building somewhere. I saw Desmond and-"

I stopped, remembering what I had just seen or dreamt or whatever I had just gone through.

Was Vidic responsible for all of this?

Vidic had been my doctor all of my life!

The man shrugged his shoulders, "You probably where before you were sent here. Desmond should show up any second then."

My head snapped in his direction, "Desmond is here too? So he isn't a figment of my imagination?"

He shook his head, "Nope, he's as real as you are, or as real as you can get inside a machine."

I had met Desmond before. It was months ago but I had met him.

But why had it been as if I hadn't?

Wait, so this Royce guy, I had been engaged to him and didn't even remember him. Why couldn't I remember?

Looking towards the stranger beside me, I asked, "Why can't I remember him? I met Desmond before and I'm engaged to some guy named Royce but I can't remember!"

The man sighed, "There is a nasty side effect with the Animus. It's called the Bleeding Effect. Memories begin to collapse on top of one another until you can't tell what's you and what's your ancestor. That's probably what's happening."

I nodded and sighed as I ran my fingers through my hair, allowing myself to sit down on a rock, "Why is this happening?"

"Oh look, there is he is!" the man said enthusiastically before disappearing in beams of light.

My head shot up and I looked around the shore until I saw the familiar face of Desmond lying further down the shore.

Jumping to my feet, I ran towards him, "Desmond!"

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	4. The Island

A/N: Hello readers! I'm glad to see that some of you have added Seeds of Eden to your favorite stories and alerts. Thanks! I hope you enjoy the next chapter. Please remember that I update after reviews, so please remember to REVIEW. Thanks, Dante.

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><p>Chapter Three<p>

The Island

Costa leaned against the frame of the door as he watched Rebecca insert the catheter into the girl's arm, the girl who they now knew as Ava Rikkin. Rebecca had been able to dig up some information on the mystery woman, but not much. Abstergo had been able to stop them by sending some kind of Trojan to Rebecca's computer. All they found out was her name, her address, and that she was an exchange student at an Italian art school. As soon as the girl's name was found out, Shaun had wanted to leave her at the warehouse and disappear.

After all, the girl shared her name with the CEO of Abstergo. Rebecca had of course refused; saying there had to be something more. Perhaps she was related to Alan Rikkin, but why then, were they trying so desperately to get her out of there when they had broken into Abstergo? What were they trying to do to her? That man he had found, trying to…trying to rape her. Why would the CEO of a Templar-run corporation allow a man to rape his daughter? Was she his daughter? They had never discovered any information on her before now. Who was she to Alan Rikkin and more importantly, to the Templars?

"Oh my god!" cried Rebecca, jumping up from where she sat next to the unconscious girl.

"What is it?" Shaun approached Rebecca cautiously, laying a hand on her elbow gently.

Rebecca leaned forward and tilted Ava's head to the side, brushing her hair away from the back of her neck. There, sticking out of her skin was what appeared to be an implant of some kind.

"Dear lord, what is that?" Shaun asked as he leaned in to observe the obscure device. As he reached out to touch it, Rebecca smacked his hand away, "Don't touch it! Idiot, we don't know what that is!"

Costa joined the two, curious as to what they were looking at. He brushed Ava's long locks away to better examine the small device that was protruding. "It looks like someone tried to dig it out. It looks like some kind of chip."

Rebecca sat back down in front of her computer and began typing, "It could be. Let me see if I can just…"

Shawn turned to Costa as Rebecca worked, "Costa, have we heard anything on Bill yet?"

Costa shook his head, "No, after we found out Abstergo had found you guys at the Coliseum, Bill told me to get you guys out. He disappeared after that. I'm sorry I wasn't fast enough to get there before…well before whatever shit happened down there."

Shaun sighed heavily, "Yes, we're still not entirely sure what happened. We were aware of what was happening but we couldn't move. I can only imagine what Luc-anyway, all I remember after that is waking up to you in the back of our van. Desmond had been taken."

Costa nodded, scratching the back of his head, "Yeah, when I got down there, everyone was unconscious. I had to carry you. I just didn't have enough time to get everyone."

Rebecca interrupted them with a gasp, "Guys, it's definitely Abstergo technology, but whatever it is, I can't be sure. It could be some kind of tracking device."

Costa looked down at Ava with concern, "What if that's what's keeping her like this? Could it be doing that?"

Rebecca shrugged, "Possibly but I think we need to move again."

"Again?" Shawn asked with aggravation, "Why don't we just rip out the damn thing and be done with it? We don't have anywhere else to go!"

Costa stepped forward, "Didn't you hear Becca? We can't take it out, we don't know what it could do. Look, you and Rebecca try and find some way to get that thing out of her. I'll see what we can do about finding Bill."

Not waiting for a reaction of their part, Costa turned and walked away from Shawn and Rebecca as he made his way towards the van.

_Animus Island_

"Desmond!"

Someone was calling his name.

"Desmond, wake up!"

A woman, someone familiar.

"Relax, sweetheart. It's not like he's going anywhere soon," a male voice spoke, also familiar to him.

"But," the woman said frantically only to be cut off by the man, "Take a walk, huh? I'll fill him in when he wakes up."

The sound of footsteps grew further and further away from him, replaced by the sound of waves hitting the shore. He opened his eyes slowly, his vision blurred as he stared up to see a gray-blue sky.

He turned his head just in time to see the shape of a figure disappear behind a large rock; they had long honey-brown hair.

Groaning, Desmond pushed himself up, rolling on to his stomach to push himself to his feet. Dizzy, Desmond held a hand to his head. He looked around at the unfamiliar terrain. There was a weirdness about it though he couldn't say why.

He began to walk towards where he saw the figure disappeared when suddenly there was a flash of light to his left. Jumping, Desmond came face to face with a man.

He had blond hair and wore a brown shirt and jeans

"What the hell?" Desmond asked, taken by surprise by the manner in which the stranger appeared.

The man opened his arms in an almost welcoming fashion, "Desmond! "

Desmond took a step back, "Where am I? Who are you?"

The man shook his head, placing his hands in his hips, "Don't tell me you don't remember me?"

Tilting his head slightly, Desmond studied the man when suddenly it popped into his head, "Sixteen?"

Sixteen nodded, "Yup, or at least what's left of me."

"But you're dead! The blood, I saw it on the walls!" Desmond said, stepping towards 16 with disbelief.

Sixteen shrugged, "Yeah, well what can I say?"

Silence fell between them, the only sound being the whistling wind that rode along the shore. Desmond happened to look down at the sand and saw a pair of footprints disappear behind a large rock. He began to follow them, 16 watching him, "Sixteen, is there someone else here?"

Desmond heard Sixteen let out a load moan of agitation as he spoke, "I have a name you know! Clay Kaczmarek; that was my name…before all of this."

Desmond heard the mood in Clay's voice change.

Looking back, Desmond saw that Clay had stopped following him and stood still as he stared down at his hands.

"Um, Clay?"

Looking up, Clay looked at Desmond for a moment before dropping his hands, "What is a man but the sum of his memories?"

Confused, Desmond turned to face him, "What?"

"What is a man but the sum of his memories? Are we more than that? Is there something we don't understand about ourselves that make us more than just…this?" Clay asked as he looked around the island, rubbing his wrist with his hand.

Unsure of how to answer, Desmond shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know."

Clay turned back to Desmond, laughing under his breath. Looking around him, Desmond shook his head in confusion, "What is this place?"

"In the Animus of course!" Clay said as he stepped past Desmond, guiding him down a natural path.

Desmond chased after him, "Then I can just wake up. Rebecca!"

Desmond screamed towards the sky, "Rebecca!"

Clay sighed, "They can't help you Desmond. You're a broken man. Your mind, it's... broken."

Desmond looked at Clay in confusion, arching an eyebrow, "Broken? I feel fine!"

Clay let out an almost manic laugh, "So did I!"

Blinking rapidly, Desmond took in the information. He felt his heart begin to race, a cold chill running down his back, "So what, I'm stuck here?"

The path they had been walking on suddenly revealed a large glowing doorway. It was framed unevenly as massive dark blocks of mass floated overhead in the air and sticking out of the ground. Desmond was in awe, "I've never seen this in the Animus before!"

Clay sat on a rock near the doorway, "That's because this is the failsafe; a safe room for your mind. Here there are no memories unless you go through that door."

"What?" Desmond asked, looking down at Clay as he stepped closer to the doorway.

"That's right. Your mind is pretty much like scrambled eggs right now. Right now your body is somewhere in a coma. What you need to do is find a way fix it. Synchronize the right memories with the right ancestor."

Suddenly, memories of what happened flooded into his head, causing him to fall to his knees, "Oh god, I remember."

Clay watched as Desmond fell, "Oh yeah, poor Lucy. Maybe if you hurry, you can still make her funeral."

Desmond's head shot up as he glared at Clay.

Rising to his feet, Desmond took a deep breath, "What do you mean by synchronizing memories?"

Clay kicked the sand, "Think about it. You're memories, the memories of Ezio and Altair. They're all fractured, too integrated. You need to separate them."

"And all I need to do is go through that?" Desmond asked as he turned back to the strange doorway.

Clay nodded, "Yup."

As Desmond opened his mouth to speak, the sound of footsteps came from behind him. Turning around sharply, Desmond came face to face with the woman from the White Room.

She wore a solid white summer dress, covered by a short sleeved black jacket. She wore ankle length brown boots on her feet. Her hair was long and wavy, a honey color. Her blue eyes were large and curious.

She looked between Desmond and Clay, almost timid in her approach.

"Ava?" he asked, walking towards her with a quick step.

He reached out and placed a hand on her arm. He could feel her; she was here.

"Wha?" he asked in confusion, looking from her to Clay.

"Why is she here?" he asked.

Clay rose from his seat on the rock and approached them, "I have no idea. She just kind of popped out of nowhere. I found her on the shore just like you."

Desmond turned to him, crossing his arms, " Wait, what are you doing here exactly?"

Clay gave a smirk and turned back towards the doorway, "Playing. Learning. Waiting. A lot of waiting."

Sighing, Desmond looked down at Ava, "I'm Desmond, just in case you don't remember me from before."

Ava looked at him gratefully, "Yeah, I do. I guess this really is real, huh?"

He nodded, "Yeah, looks like."

They looked at each other, unsure of what to say or do, both far too confused of their situation to say anything to one another.

Clay cleared his throat and tugged on Ava's arm, nearly causing her to trip as he dragged her towards the rock he had sat on before.

He pushed her down to sit and motioned for Desmond to follow, "Come on Desmond, time to get to work."

Desmond followed, "What about her? We both can't go through that, can we?"

Clay shook his head, "No, but while your in there, I'll be out here. I'll see what I can find on her."

Desmond looked at Ava with hesitation, "Will you be okay?"

Ava gave a dry laugh, pushing her hair behind her ear, "I guess. Not like I can go anywhere, right?"

Desmond returned her laugh with one of his own before looking at Clay, "Are you sure this will work?"

Clay rolled his eyes, "Of course, Desmond. You just have to trust me."

Desmond faced the doorway and began walking towards it, mumbling under his breath, "Trust? Yeah right."

Before he disappeared into the light of the doorway, he looked back one last time to see Ava watching with curiosity and a bit of worry. He gave her a smile and waved his hand.

She raised her hand and waved back.

The last thing he saw were her wide blue eyes staring back at him.

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	5. The Memories of Desmond Miles, Part One

A/N: Thank you for your comments, everyone! And for more of the story alerts and story favorites! As I said before, I update after I get reviews, so here you go, new chapter! REMEMBER TO REVIEW! I only update after reviews, enjoy the chapter. - Dante.

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><p>Chapter Four<p>

The Memories of Desmond Miles

Part One

I didn't know what to do.

I was stuck in some kind of virtual reality with apparently the remains of a man who killed himself and left an A.I. in this thing called the Animus. His name was Clay.

He told me that my uncle was actually something called a Templar. But more importantly; he was the head of the order!

What the hell is going on?

I don't know what to believe. I am so confused and at a loss of what to.

I was shocked when Desmond washed upon the shore. Clay didn't seem surprised at all! It was like he was expecting him instead of me to show up. I think I'm still in shock because I haven't moved from this rock since Desmond disappeared into the doorway.

Clay had disappeared in a flash of light, leaving me alone in the quiet purgatory.

As I sat there, a sudden sharp paint hit me on the back of my neck. Reaching back, I rubbed against the skin. It felt as if someone was digging into me.

Jumping up, I continued to rub my neck as I walked towards the strange pillars I had come across when I ventured off before when Clay spoke to Desmond alone.

They were strange to say the least. I could see through the hollowed out pillars, however there seemed to be some kind of digital white veil in the middle.

Timidly, I reached out to touch the veil. As my hand made contact, it sent a fuzzy feeling through my hand. The veil wouldn't budge. My hand felt as though it were touching something solid.

Sighing, I twirled on my feet and walked towards the middle of the circle of pillars. I felt like I was in the middle of a train station, waiting for a train that would never come. It was like there was no concept of time in this place. It felt like hours had gone by since Desmond had gone through the doorway, but nothing out here had changed.

The sky hadn't grown darker or lighter; it remained the same strange bluish gray, as if the world had been frozen.

I began to think of my situation as I stood there. How was I going to get out of here? Why was I even here in the first place?

…_come, follow me into the water, where the stars are drowning…_

…_we'll be together forever, lifetimes of waiting over…_

…_through an open door, I'll be waiting…_

…_follow me into the water, where the stars are drowning…._

That song again! Why did it keep popping up? I heard it when I was in the white place before I ended up here. Why was it so familiar?

…_moon and sun dance as one…_

…_glittering hallows in the shallow…_

…_come, follow me into the water, where the stars are drowning…_

"Hey."

Startled, I whirled around to see Desmond standing next to me. I let out a nervous laugh, not realizing I had been concentrating so hard on the song playing in my head.

"Oh, hi."

The pain that had been bothering me must have gone away in my little reverie. Desmond looked past me at the pillars and stepped towards them,

"What are these things?" he asked, looking back at me.

I shook my head, "No idea. I tried to go through but it's solid."

As Desmond grew closer, a sudden buzz entered the air and the white veil shimmered into a placid surface. You could see something inside, like a distant light of a doorway.

Desmond turned to me, "Want to find out where this goes?"

I held back a snort, shifting my weight as I crossed my arms, "Are you kidding? I'm dying of boredom here."

He grinned, "Well then, ladies first."

He motioned for me to go through, bowing slightly. I rolled my eyes as I walked past him and up to the pillar. I stopped and looked into the sudden doorway, squinting my eyes in an attempt to see what was on the other side.

Before I realized it, Desmond had pushed me into the doorway, following close behind.

Animus 2.0

***INITIATING ARCHIVE ACCESS***

Date_Stream

SOURCE: Subject 17

PATH: Miles, Desmond.

LOADING…

"Holy shit!"

What was going on now?

This is so strange. I turned to Desmond to see the same look of shock on his face. He begins to walk up the flight of odd stairs, "This must be the core of the animus!"

I run after him as he quickly makes his way towards the wall ahead of us. As we grew closer, the wall opened up, revealing another room. As we entered the new room, we could see that we stood on a ledge. What appeared to be another doorway lied at the bottom.

I turned to Desmond, "What do we do now?"

He made his way over to the side of the ledge before looking back at me, "We go down."

I groaned.

I hate heights.

_Real World_

Costa hid in the shadow of the ally as he watched people pass him by on the streets. He had been able to contact Vincent and now waited for him to show.

"I see you're still hiding in the shadows, son," a gruff and coarse voice came from behind him.

Spinning, Costa had his blade against the throat of an older man, salt and peppered hair, a ghastly burn scar covering his left eye, which was white with blindness.

The man chuckled and pushed the blade away from his throat, "and paranoid."

Costa rolled his eyes, "Yeah, well some of us still have to be…Vincent."

Vincent shook his head, sighing heavily, "When will you stop this insanity Costa? When will you see that we have lost this war? Enjoy what life you have left."

Costa glared at the man, "At least some of us haven't found solace at the bottom of a bottle, old man!"

Vincent's back straitened, "You would too, if you endured what I had to."

Costa nearly lunged at Vincent as he said hoarsely, "You forget that I was there too. You aren't the only one who has scars."

Sighing, Vincent asked, "What is it that you want, Costa."

Costa crossed his arms, "Do you know where Bill is?"

"Bill?" Vincent rubbed his chin in curious thought, "Why?"

Costa looked back at the sidewalk to make sure they hadn't been detected by curious passerby's, "We need his help. We found Desmond Miles…and a woman named Eva Rikkin."

Vincent's eyes widened slightly as he stared at Costa with a blank face, "Rikkin you say? I assume she is related to Alan Rikkin, then."

Costa nodded.

Vincent made a "humph" noise in his throat as he turned away from Costa, "I do not know where William is. But he did contact me this morning. He said that he would be waiting for you at a private air strip outside of Verona."

He pulled out an envelope and tossed it at Costa, "Do not be late, son."

Costa opened the envelope and saw what appeared to be personnel files. Looking up, Costa saw that Vincent was gone.

He leaned against the brick wall of the building behind him, "Nice to see you too, Dad."

_Animus_

I followed silently behind Desmond as we entered yet another room; this time however, there seemed to be some kind of image on the wall. It looked like a farmhouse or a barn.

Desmond's face brightened as he saw it, "Home!"

He turned to me, "I was born here! The Farm."

His eyebrows knit together as his mind seemed to be fitting together pieces to a puzzle, "Desmond?"

I placed a hand on his arm, causing him to look down at me, "Yeah. That was what they called it. My parents, two dozen couples, some kids. A community. Hidden away."

I turned back to the image of apparently Desmond's childhood home. It looked nice. I had grown up inside a cold building with constant guards making sure I didn't sneak away. My uncle had apparently been a very powerful man. Hell, he was apparently the head of an order trying to control the world.

Desmond led us up towards the next level, all the while speaking of his home, looking back at me every now and then to make sure I was keeping up.

I don't know how he can move like that, it's like he's the bionic man.

"Small houses in the black hills. Clear skies. Wood smoke, wind, and the stink of gasoline. Generators running day and night. I remember!"

He turned to me, a smile on his face, "I'm starting to remember things I didn't realize I had forgotten."

I returned his smile, "That's good, right?"

We stopped for a moment, a look of confusion on Desmond's face. I didn't know what to do so I tried to change the subject, "I have never lived in the country. I always lived in a city. I never really liked it though. Too much noise, I think. Too busy."

He chuckled, " We lived simply, almost like nomads."

I tilted my head, "Why?"

He looked down to the ground beneath us before lowering himself to sit, swinging his legs over the edge. I joined him, looking at him with concern, "Are you okay?"

A dark look crossed his face, shaking his head, "We were so far away from everything. Ready to pack up and go at the drop of a hat. If we were discover. If THEY found us."

"THEY?" I asked.

He rolled his eyes as if remembering something, "The Templars."

"Oh, yeah. They're the bad guys." I said with a slight chuckle.

I wasn't sure if Desmond would take it well if I told him I was related to the man responsible for what happened to him. But then again, didn't the same thing happened to me? Uncle Alan was the one who made Dr. Vidic my doctor since I was a kid. Did he do this to me, as well?

I blinked my eyes rapidly before looking back at Desmond, "Did you have any animals on the farm? I've always wanted animals when I was little."

He grinned, " It wasn't much of a real farm, really. We grew some food, I don't remember any animals though."

My pout must have made him lean towards me, knocking my shoulder with his, "maybe a few dogs."

I smiled, "My uncle never let me have any pets. I always wanted one."

He noticed my smile disappearing into a thin line and asked, "Your uncle seems to be a tight ass."

I couldn't help but laugh. Nodding, I said, "Yeah, he is! He never spent any time with me, you know. He would always made other people do it."

"Sounds lonely," he said softly.

I looked back at him, "Yeah, it was."

We sat there for a few minutes, in the quiet of this place. Soon enough though, Desmond said we should keep going. He helped me up and we continued to make our way through this puzzle of a place.

As we came upon a room with a large pillar that seemed to me moving downward, I had a sudden realization, that I had no idea who the Assassins really were. Clay had explained to me that the war was between them and the Templars, but not what they were fighting for. Clay said all I needed to know was that the Assassins were good and the Templars were bad. But wars are fought over something, whatever it may be.

But my curiosity was getting the better of me, "Desmond, what exactly are the Assassins?"

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	6. The Memories of Desmond Miles, Part Two

A/N: Hello readers! I know it's been a while since I've updated, but I've been really busy. I hope you like the next chapter. Remember that I like to get feedback and usually don't update until I get at least two reviews, so please do so. -Dante

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><p>Chapter Five<p>

The Memories of Desmond Miles, Part Two

Desmond looked at me as if I were asking him why the sky was blue. His eyebrow arched as he turned to face me.

"What?" he asked.

I shifted my weight uncomfortably, "What exactly are the Assassins?"

He crossed his arms and chuckled with disbelieve, "Are you telling me you have no idea who they are? Why are you even in here if you don't know who the Assassins are?"

I sighed heavily, "I don't know. I don't know what's going on or why I'm here. This is all so strange to me, Desmond. I'm just trying to understand."

He nodded, "I get that. Well, the Assassins are fighting against the Templars to make sure they don't take control of the world and destroy free will, basically."

I nodded, "Yeah, that's what Clay said. But I mean, he said some Assassins, like you, are different. Like you can do or see things other people can't."

Desmond scratched the back of his head, "Yeah, um I don't really get it myself. Apparently people like me, we're descendants of Those Who Came Before and humans."

"Wait- are you talking about aliens?" I asked, not believing what Desmond was say.

He noticed and tried to hide a grin behind his hand as he scratched his chin, "Yeah, aliens. They exist!"

He waved his hands in front of him condescendingly, laughing as I frowned and crossed my arms, "Stop it!"

Desmond reached out and laid a hand on my shoulder, "Sorry. But yeah, I have their DNA, which allows me to use my Eagle vision."

I cocked an eyebrow in curiosity, "That means you can see what other people can't, right?"

He nodded, "Exactly."

I turned away and stopped short as I began to walk at the sight of a large blue and black pillar that stood in the middle of the next room, "What is that?"

Desmond followed me as I entered the room, staring up at the ceiling. The strange pillar seemed to go straight through to the outside, white light emitting where it came through. Desmond shrugged his shoulders, "Don't know."

He tugged on my hand, "Come on, let's keep going."

I followed him until we came to ledge. Desmond jumped down and then turned to look up at me, arms outstretched.

I scoffed, "Yeah right!"

Dropping his arms, Desmond rolled his eyes, "Don't tell me you're afraid of heights!"

I sat on the side of the ledge, "Extremely!"

Desmond sighed, "Come on Ava, we need to get out of here!"

I looked down at him, "Aren't you here to fix your memory? If you try and hurry, you may miss something."

"Yeah, like what? I don't have many memories I want to remember," he said, his voice full of distain.

Curious, I asked, "If you can't remember, then how do you know?"

He looked up at me, sighing heavily, " I know because from what I can remember, there is nothing worth remembering. There is nothing I can remember that made me…happy."

He turned his back and leaned against the wall that I was sitting on, tilting his head up to look at me, "The Assassins. I was born into it. I didn't choose…it was like…a birthright. Does that make sense?"

I nodded, "I understand what you mean. My uncle…he expects certain things of me, things I never wanted."

"What certain things?" he asked, noticing my frown.

I shook my head, "It's not important."

"You are an Assassin, they would say. What did that even mean?" he asked himself.

Pushing himself away from the wall, he looked up at me, frustration clearly written on his face, "Ever since I was young, They never stopped saying it. You are an Assassin, you are an Assassin. And this is our Creed."

His brow was furrowed in what seemed like anger. He looked away from me and ran his hands down his face. I bit my lip, not sure what to say.

When he turned back to me, I sat rigidly, my fear of heights causing me to feel dizzy. But I knew that we had to keep moving. I looked down at him, "Do you promise to catch me if I jump?"

He looked up at me and grinned, despite his previous pout of anger, outstretching his arms once again, "I promise."

I whimpered, looking up at the ceiling before looking back at Desmond. I scooting to the edge of the ledge before forcing myself off.

I screamed when I felt myself falling.

Before I knew it, I had landed in Desmond's arms. He stumbled but remained standing. Setting me on my feet, he let go.

I held my chest to stop my heart from bursting out of my chest, "I'm never doing that again!"

He laughed before walking away from me. I steadied my breathing before running after him, "Hey, wait for me!"

He stopped.

When I caught up with him I became curious about what he had said a moment ago about a creed, "What was the creed you were talking about?"

We began to walk again, Desmond speaking as we did, "Nothing is true. Everything is permitted."

I frowned, "What does that mean? Nothing is true?"

He shrugged, "I never understood it myself. I mean, if nothing is true does that mean a world without purpose?"

We made it to a much larger room. As we entered, Desmond stopped and turned to look at me with curiosity, "Can I ask you something?"

I nodded, "Of course."

"Have we met before? I have the strangest feeling that I know you from somewhere."

I didn't know what to say. I had a single memory of meeting Desmond at a club but I didn't trust myself to believe it. After all, I was supposedly in some kind of computer system. But if Desmond thought we had met before, maybe we did.

_Real World_

Rebecca groaned in frustration as she stared at the strange device still embedded in the girl's neck. She didn't want to remove it, afraid it could hurt her if she did.

She was definitely sure now that it was some kind of remote access device, similar to a wireless phone. It was a Abstergo product for sure thanks to the logo that was etched on and she had a feeling it was connected to the Animus Project since they had found her in the same place Desmond was being kept.

"Hey."

Looking away from the girl, Rebecca turned to see Shawn leaning against the doorway. They had yet to hear from Costa and it was getting late. "Any word yet?"

He shook his head, walking towards her before sitting down in the empty chair next to her. She noticed that his face looked worn and tired. He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. She reached out and laid her hand on his hand, "Are you okay?"

He sighed, "Do you ever think that we're ever going to win this?"

Rebecca shook her head, unsure what he was asking, "What do you mean?"

He placed his glasses back on his face, "This bloody war! How long have we been doing this? How many centuries have the Assassins fought against the Templars? How many people have to die before it's over?"

Rebecca leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Shawn. He was hesitant but wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his face in her neck, "I'm just tired of it all."

"I know. I know Shawn." She kissed the side of his face and ran her fingers through his short blond hair before pushing away to look at him in the face, "But we have to be strong, we have to believe that we can beat them!"

Shawn nodded but said nothing.

Looking away from her, he looked at the two motionless forms of Ava and Desmond, the vitals still the same; non-responsive.

That is, until Ava's vitals began to sky rocket.

_Animus_

"Ava!"

Desmond knelt just in time to catch the unconscious Ava as she fell to the ground, "Ava?"

He shook her, hoping she would wake, "Ava!"

He shook her again but still she did not respond.

Not knowing what to do, Desmond lifted her into his arms and looked around the suddenly silent and strange place he found himself in.

_The Repository _

Gasping, I felt the coldness of ocean water surround me. I pushed my way to the surface, coughing the salt water out of my lungs.

I shivered from the cold as I swam towards the shore.

It wasn't Animus Island that's for sure.

I wasn't sure what this place was. I looked back and noticed that the water was shimmery as was everything else. I was surrounded by what appeared to be stars. It was like I was standing in a timeless place made of nothing but stars.

I was no longer wet but still felt cold. Wrapping my arms around myself I turned around only to stop short.

Standing in front of me was Juno.

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